Device for removing accumulated liquid from gas-mains.



H. j. MCGILVRAY.

DEVICE FOR REMOVING ACCUMULATED LiQUlD FROM GAS MAINS.

APPLICATION 111.10 001.111,1915.

11,1 91,0151. Patented Ju1y11,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- @Hoff/v1 9113A 11.1. MCGILVRAY. DEVICE FOR REMOVING ACCUMULATED LIQUID FROM GAS MAINS.

Patented July 11, 1916.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I4, 1915. 1,191,013.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T all Iwhom it may concern:

narra HARRY JAMES MCGILVRAY, OF WESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOIR, OF ONE-HALF TO HUNTER M. BENNETT, 0F WESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

DEVICE FOR -REMOVING ACCUMULATED LIQUID FROM GAS-MAINS.

Be it known that I, HARRY JAMES Mo- GILVRAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Weston, in the county of'Lewis and State of vWest Virginia, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in evices for Removing Accumulated Liquid y' from Gas-Mains and the like; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theartto'which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates tol an improved-device for removing accumulated liquid from gas mains and the like without allowing escapev of gas therefrom or loss .of such liquid.

It is well known that liquid accumulates at low points in gas mains,'particularly in vthe mains used for thev transportation of natural gas in which the pressure is 'so great as to liquefy some of the constituents of such gas as well as to aid 'in the condensation of the moisture-therein, into liquid form. The liquids, under such circumstances, is practically pure gasolene and is therefore valuable. Fromtime to time 4it is necessary to remove all accumulated Heretofore, this has been accomplished by equipping the low points of the pipe lines with blow-ofi:` cocksy vand by allowing the gas pressure`in such lines to blowout the liquid therein when such cocks are opened. Although this method allows the liquid to be removed, it necessitates wasting of such liquid as well as the loss of an appreciable amount of gas.

It is therefore the object of my invention to provide a novel device for removing the accumulated liquid from thelines without loss of either gas or liquid. This end is attained in l.the manner hereinafter fully de-- scribed, by the use of anapparatus such as that shown in the accompanying drawings which constitute a part of the application,

and in which Figure 1 is a diagram of a pipe line or gas main equipped in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sec` tion through lthe member of the apparatus carried permanently by the 4gas main; F1g. 3 is a similar view of the portable member of the apparatus; Fig. 4 is a sectional view,

showing the 'portable and fixed members coupled together; Fig. 5 is a similar view Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 191e.

Application led October 14, 1915.v Serial No. 55,870.

- with all parts positioned for discharging similar reference characters placed on cor responding parts throughout the several views. To this end, the numeral 1 indicates broadly a gas main usually laid below the surface S of the earth E, for conducting gas from one point to another point remote therefrom. Necessarily, since the main must travel over hills and through valleys and thelike, a number of low points exist in the length of such main, it being at such points that liquid separated 'from the gas will accumulate. 'To remove such liquid from time totime, the devices or apparatuses- 2 are used, the latter being positioned at' suitable places throughout, the length of the main.

Each device 2 includes a tubular passage member 3 in the form of a pipe which is inserted downwardly through the earth and tapped permanently into the main 1, the upper end of said passage member being constituted byA a valve casing 4. Normally, communication between the upper and lower ends of the aforesaid passage member is obstructed lby'the provision of a valve plug or the like 5, but when desired, such plug may be so rotated as to dispose its port -6 vertically, whereby communication may Insertible into`I the u per end 4 ofthe valve casing 3 is n ad itional tubular pasi sage member Z? in the form of a pipe having external screw threads 8 onv its -lower end for inter-engagement with similar. threads 9 formed on the upper end ofsaid valve casing. The upper end of the pipe 7 is connected by a coupling or the like 10 to a neck 11 which depends from a socket mem- .'ber 12, said neck being provided with a central bore opening into .the Apipe 7 as clearly .shown in Figs. 3, 4,' and 5. vIt is'to beobserved, however, that the bore in the neck is of less'size than that of the pipe.

Inserted slidably through the socket mem- 'ber 1'?. and 'pipe 7 is a liquid discharge tube 13'having at its lower end a perforated extension 14 connected thereto by a coupling sleeve 15, which, under normal circumpossible escape of gas at this oint. Finally,

stances, abuts the inner end of the neck- 10.

Disposed in the socket 12 and surrounding the tube 13 in Huid tight contact therewith, is a packing ringv 16 against whose upper side a washer 17 rests, while bearing on the outer side of said washer, and having an axial bore receiving the tube 13, is a split cone 19, the wall of whose bore is preferably serrated at 20. The split cone 19 is received in a conical socket 21 formed in the lower end of a screw plug 23 which closes y the upper end of the socket member 12.

In addition to the parts above described, the tube 13 is preferably equipped with a cut-oli valve or cock 22 at its upper end, from which a pipe or the like (not-shown) may lead to a suitable portable container.

The parts 7 to 23 inclusive are adapted to be carried by the line walker whose duty it-` is to remove the accumulated liquid from the low points of the main without the waste of either liquid or gas. In so doing,

he will thread the pipe 7 into the upper end of the valve casing 3 by the use of an appropriate wrench or the like, will then open the valve 5, whereupon the tube 13 may be inserted into the main through the aforesaid member and the port 6 of the valve. During this operation, the valve 22 is closed.

After the tube has been inserted into the main, the plug 23 is threaded inwardlyby the Vuse of a wrench or other appropriate tool, thus contracting the split cone 21 around said tube to prevent the high pressure within the main from forcing the same outwardly. At the same time, the packing ring 16 is compressed in'to binding frictional contact with the tube to prevent the the valve 22 is opened an the pressure within the main will force the accumulated liquid therefrom into the container above mentioned, through the tubeV 13, with the result that all of such liquid may be saved, this being particularly advantageous if the liquid in question be in the form of gasoene.

When the liquidy has been removed, the plug 23 is loosened, whereupon the tube 13 may be moved outwardly" until its coupling 15 abuts the neck 11, such coupling thus also serving the function of preventing the pressure in the main from blowing the tube from its retaining means. The plug 5 is now closed, and the pipe 7 is again det-ached.

from the valve casing 3, whereupon the portable parts of the device may be moved to vthe next low point, at which point the cycle of operation above described will be repeated. Thismanner of operation takes place' successively throughout the length of the main, as will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation, it being evident, however, thatneither gas nor liquid need be wasted, and that I have applica-tion which has now matured into I claim f: I

1.` An apparatus for removing accumu lated liquid vfrom pressurecarrying gas mains and the like, comprising a passage member to be carried by the main, a portion ofwhich is permanently attached thereto, a valve normally closing said member, a liquid discharge tube insertible into the main through the passage member w,hen the valve thereof isvopened, and means for establishing fluid tight engagement between the passage-member and tube before the valve is opened and for maintaining such engagementafter said valve is opened.

2. An apparatus for discharging accumulated liquid from pressure-carrying gas mains and the like, including a .passage member and a Huid discharge tube insertible into the main through said member, a pack- Patent #1181910, May 2nd, 1916.

surrounding the tube, and a combined ring i compressing and tube gripping device for simultaneously forcing the packing ring into snug contact with the tube and for holding said tube against being moved outwardly by the pressure within the main.

3. An apparatus for removing accumulated liquid from pressure-carrying gas mains and the like, including..4 a passage member having at one end a socket and a liquid discharge tube insertible into the main through-said socket and passage member, a fr packing ring in the socket and surrounding hl, the tube, an expansible and contractible tube gripping member surrounding said tube and disposed Within the socket, and means for simultaneously contracting said gripping member around the tube and for forcing it against the packing ring to compress the latter around said tube.

4. An 4apparatus, for removing accumulated liquid from pressure-carrying gas mains and thev like, comprising a tubular `passage member to be carried lpermanently by the main, a valve for normally closing said member, a portable tubular passage member, coacting coupling means on'the two members, a socket carried by one end of the portable member, a discharge tube inserted slidably through said socket and through said portable member, a packing ring in the lsocket snugly Isurrounding the tube, a split @onel in said socket having its base presented toward the packing ring and having an axial bore receiving the tube, and a plug 'movable inwardly and outwardly in the open end of the socket and having in its inner end an additional socket receiving said split cone, whereby to contract the same around the tube and to simultaneously compress the packing ring, when said plug is moved inwardly.

5. An apparatus for removing accumulated liquid from pressure-carrying gas 'mains and the like, comprisinga tubular passage member to be carried permanently by the main, a valve for normally closing said member, a portable tubular passage member, coacting coupling means on the two members, a socket having a depending neck received in the outer end of the portable member, a discharge tube inserted .slidably through said socket into said portable member, said tube being formed in two sections disposed end to endbelow the socket, a coupling sleeve connecting said sections and adapted to bear against the neck of the socket to prevent excessive outward sliding of the discharge tube, a packing ring in the socket snugly surrounding the tube, a split cone in said'socket having its base presented toward the packing ring and having an axial bore receiving the tube, and a plug movable inwardly and outwardly in the open end of the socket and having in its inner end an additional socket receiving said split cone, whereby to contract the latter around the tube and to simultaneously compress the packing ring, when said plug is moved inwardly.

6. The combination with a gas main hav-v ing low points in .which liquid is prone to accumulate; of permanent passa e members carried by the main at such ow points, valves for normally closing said permanent passage members, a single portable passage member, means for coupling the portable passage member to any one of the permanent passage members, a liquid discharge tube carried slidably within the portable member and insertible into the main through any one of the permanent members when the valve thereof is opened, and packing means carried by said portable member and snugly surrounding the tube.

7. The combination with a pressure-carrying gas main having low points in which liquid is prone to accumulate, of a plurality of permanent passage members carried by the main and disposed one at each of said points, valves for normally closing said passage members, a portable liquid discharge tube insertible into the main through any one of the passage members when the valve thereof is opened, and means for establishing a fluid tight engagement between the passage member and tube before the valve 1s opened, and for maintaining such engagement after opening said valve'.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

l HARRY .I AMES MCGILVRAY.

Witnesses:

. W. J. SMITH,

THOMAS I.' CUMMINGs. 

